Caring for Chichester’s Coastal Communities. The Manhood Peninsula Partnership was inspired by local residents to promote a sustainable way forward for addressing the environmental, social and economic challenges posed to the area by climate change.

Chichester Harbour Feb 2019

Chichester Harbour Events - February 2019

Special Family Event

Friday 22 February 10am 2 hrs
Bird Bonanza
An event for families to find out about the Harbour birds through fun activities set up by our bird enthusiasts, Rangers, Ecologist, Education Team and partner organisations such as the Solent’s Bird Aware. Two chances to win! – enter our free draw for a family solar boat ticket and complete the quiz sheet by visiting every stall. Refreshments available.Fee: free entry
Meet: Hayling Island lifeboat station, PO11 9RR

Walks and Talks

Fri 1 February 10am 2 hours
Harbour Creekies: Black Point
A slower-paced stroll of up to 1 ½ miles at Black Point at the entrance to Chichester Harbour with time for coffee afterwards. Bring money for coffee at the Sailing Club.Fee: £5 on the day or free to Friends of Chichester Harbour, bring membership number. To join the Friends click here
Meet: Hayling Island Sailing Club, PO11 9SL, free parking by kind permission.

Sat 2 February 8.30am 1½ hrs
Bird Watching at Black Point High Tide Roost
A short stroll to view the high tide roost at Black Point with a birding guide. Dress warmly and bring binoculars if you have them. No dogs please.Fee: £5 on the day to include coffee.
Meet: Hayling Island Lifeboat Station, PO11 9SL, free parking by the station by kind permission

Sat 9 February 10am 1½ hrs
Bird Watching at North Common
A short stroll with the Conservancy’s ecologist Pete Hughes (and Harbour coordinator for the national bird counting scheme WeBS) at North Common taking time to look for and hear about the Harbour birds. Dress warmly and bring binoculars if you have them. No dogs please.Fee: £5 on the day
Meet: small free car park with height barrier, Northney, Hayling Island (about 1km from the entrance to the Langstone Hotel on the Northney road).

Sat 9 February 2.30pm 2 hrs
Winter Twigs
A stroll around Chichester Marina and Salterns Copse taking time to look for and identify winter twigs and afterwards at Chichester Yacht Club for a cup of tea and to hear of the folklore associated with our native trees. With John Arnott, natural history enthusiast.Fee: £5, booking essential online
Meet: outside Chichester Yacht Club at Chichester Marina, PO20 7EJ, free parking by kind permission.

Sat 16 February 10am 4 hrs
Harbour Hares: Two Harbours
A faster-paced walk of 6 miles from Emsworth, past Warblington church to the old oyster beds in Langstone Harbour and back along the Chichester Harbour shoreline via a stop for a drink at The Royal Oak in Langstone. Bring money for the pub stop.Fee: £5 on the day or free to Friends of Chichester Harbour, bring membership number. To join the Friends click here
Meet: end of Warblington Road, Emsworth, PO10 7HW. Roadside parking.

Image: Sparrow - Paul Adams

Friends of Chichester Harbour Special Events

Fri 8 February FOCH event 7.30pm 1½ hrs
The Anglo Saxon Naval Base in Chichester Harbour
A talk from historic naval archaeologist Dr Philip MacDougall about his work in trying to identify the site of what he believes is the original late-Saxon port in Chichester Harbour that was used by Earl Godwin and his fleet of not less than 20 warships in the years prior to the Battle of Hastings.Fee: £10 members, booking essential via www.friendsch.org
Meet: Eames Farm, Thorney Island, PO10 8DE

Birdwatching Boat Trips

A gentle trip by solar powered boat up to 2 hours in length, to enjoy the Harbour and with the help of a bird enthusiast look out for and identify the birds found in this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Dress warmly and bring binoculars.
Tickets: £13

Selsey Vision

Selsey Town Council and Chichester District Council are working in partnership with the community on a process called 'Selsey Vision' - an opportunity for all members of our town to give their views on the future of Selsey. Follow this link to find how you can help shape the future of Selsey by contributing your thoughts to the Selsey Vision.

Defra Survey 2019

Photo copyright Rik Wright

The government is consulting on mandating biodiversity net gain in development to ensure habitats are protected and enhanced for the future. The consultation opened on 2 December and will run until 10 February 2019. Follow this link to find out more about Defra's Net Gain Survey.

Chichester Harbour Jan 2019

Walks

Fri 11 January 10am 2hrs
Harbour Creekies: West Wittering Beach
A slower-paced stroll of up to 2 miles on the beach at the entrance to Chichester Harbour, with time for coffee afterwards. Even though it is winter the café will be open for us. Bring £2 for the car park fee and money for the café.Fee: £5 on the day or free to Friends of Chichester Harbour, bring membership number. To join the Friends click here
Meet: by the café in West Wittering beach car park PO20 8AU.

Sat 12 January 10am 5 hours
Harbour Hares: 2 Villages and a Ferry
A faster-paced walk of 7 miles along the shoreline and in the countryside of two of the Harbour’s villages, Itchenor and Bosham, with two ferry rides and time for a lunch break in Bosham at the Sailing Club by kind permission. Bring £4 (discounted fee) for the return ferry rides and a packed lunch.Fee: £5 on the day or free to Friends of Chichester Harbour, bring membership number. To join the Friends click here
Meet: outside the Harbour Office, Itchenor, PO20 7AW, roadside and pay and display parking.

Image Roger Pagram

Photography with Iain McGowan

Sat 26 January 9.30am 6 hours
Photography with Iain McGowan
Be inspired by the Harbour and the guidance of professional Iain McGowan to take great photographs in the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). Dress for outdoors and bring footwear for muddy conditions. Bring a packed lunch. Any camera will be suitable. Half day review session to share your favourite shots 10am-12noon on Saturday 23 February.Fee: £28 for both sessions (minimum age 15 years). Booking essential here.
Meet: Clubroom at Paynes Boatyard, Thornham Lane, Thorney Island, PO10 8DD. Free parking by kind permission.

Boat Trips

Solar Heritage - Bird Watching Trips

There are just two of these special trips sheduled this month to enable you to see the wonderul birds of the Harbour from the water. Each trip has an expert on board to give a commentary and answer questions.

Please bring binoculars and camaras if you have them - there are some binoculars available on board.

Numbers are limited to allow good visibility so book your place soon. Each trip lasts up to two hours and is weather dependent.

MWHG 20th Anniversary Photo Competition

To celebrate 20 Years of The Manhood Wildlife and Heritage Group, you are invited to take part in a photographic competition being held by the group to capture the brightest and glorious best of the Manhood Peninsula.

The competition will be open to receiving photo entries from July 16th to August 12th

The winners will be announced on the week of the 20th August

There are 4 categories:

Wildlife Category (16+ years)

Heritage Category (16+ years)

Landscape Category (16+ years)

Your Local Nature Category (Under 16’s age group, includes photos of wildlife, landscapes or plants)

To find out more about the competition and to enter it, please follow this link to the MWHG website

Southern Marine Plan

Photo copyright Rik Wright

The South Marine Plan is the second English marine plan to be adopted. It covers an area of around 20,000 square kilometres of inshore and offshore waters across 1,000 kilometres of coast line from Folkestone to the river Dart. It is one of the busiest shipping channels in the world, with significant numbers of freight and passenger transport as well as military activity with almost two thirds of Royal Navy ships stationed at Portsmouth. This intense activity and shipping takes place alongside 60 marine protected areas, including nine marine conservation zones and a UNESCO world heritage site. It is one of the most complex and used areas of the English coast line.

As with land-use planning, marine planning is a statutory requirement. A marine plan becomes a statutory consideration in all relevant planning decisions once it is published for public consultation. The South Marine Plan will help ensure that the right activities happen in the right place and in the right way within the marine environment. It provides a framework that will shape and inform decisions over how the areas’ waters are developed, protected and improved over the next 20 years.

Selsey Festival 2018

The annual Selsey Festival is taking place throughout August this year. This is the 16th year of the Selsey Festival so there is lots to celebrate. The Festival features loads of events such as music, talks, shows and cinema.

Screen On The Green is back on 10, 11 and 12 August. There will be showings of popular films such as Avengers Assemble and Top Gun.

Visit the Selsey Heritage Exhibition - Selsey 1918 to 2018, the Sea and Tourism. The Manhood Wildlife & Heritage Group are putting on a fascinating exhibition about the history of Selsey. See how the lives of our fishermen have changed over the last 100 years, how technology has helped them to be more efficient. Also see how holiday makers have enjoyed the sea side in Selsey over the years. Donkey rides on the beach anyone or Hide-y-Hi at Pontins Holiday Camp? The exhibition runs daily from 31st July to 10th August - 10.30am to 4.30pm. The Exhibition Hall, Selsey Town Council, PO20 0RB. Please note this exhibition is closed on Sunday 5th August

To continue the sea theme, Mulberry Divers are running snorkel trips from East Beach on most Fridays in August, so join them to find out more about the underwater world near you! For full details and to book your space call 01243 601000 or visit www.mulberrydivers.co.uk

Thur 16th to Sat 18th August sees the 16th Fantastic End of the Pier Show at Selsey Town Hall. This much-loved show will be taking you on an amazing canter through iconic musicals, films, TV shows, sketches, comedy moments and much, much more! There will be some saucy surprises and everyone’s favourite ‘Jobs’. We will have our usual fabulous atmosphere with a pay bar. Shows from 7.30pm with the addition of a Saturday matinee at 2.30pm. Tickets £8 from Selsey Town Council or from Ticketsource.

There is so much going on during the Selsey Festival. Find out all about it from the Selsey Festival website

Pagham Harbour

Photo copyright Sarah Hughes

Pagham Harbour is a glorious and peaceful nature reserve, one of the few undeveloped stretches of the Sussex coast. This sheltered inlet is an internationally important wetland site for wildlife. Watch black-tailed godwits and little egrets by day, then linger when skies are clear for an amazing sunset.

Southern Water Consultation

Southern Water are inviting comments on their draft Water Resources Management Plan that aims to keep our taps flowing for the next 50 years. They really want to hear from people, so please make your thoughts known by contacting them as shown in the following link:

Chichester Harbour March 2018

Chichester Harbour Events - March 2018

Walks

Image courtesy of Paul Gonella

Fri 2 March 10am 2½hrs
Harbour Creekies: Prinsted and Nutbourne
A stroll of 3 miles along the shoreline to Nutbourne and back via the old orchards. There is one stile to cross on this walk.Fee: £5 on the day to include refreshments, free for Friends of Chichester Harbour, bring membership number. To join click hereMeet: Clubroom, Paynes Boatyard, Thornham Lane, Thorney Island, PO10 8DD. Free parking by kind permission of the boatyard.

Sat 17 March 10am 5hrs
Harbour Hares: Hayling Island
Features: a 9 mile linear walk along the Hayling Billy track to the entrance of Langstone Harbour, then along the coastline to finish by the Lifeboat Station at the entrance to Chichester Harbour.
After meeting up we will travel by minibus to the start of the walk. Bring a packed lunch.Fee: £5 on the day or free for members of Friends of Chichester Harbour, bring membership number. To join click here.Meet: upstairs in the Hayling Island Lifeboat Station, off Bracklesham Road, Hayling Island, PO11 9RR. Free parking by kind permission of the RNLI.

Art

Sun 4 March 10am 3hrs
Time Off for Art
Features: allow yourself time off to drop in for our Harbour Art workshop led by Conservancy Teacher Fran Davies. At the start Fran will talk through some ideas inspired by the natural environment of this Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and you are then free to spend time as you wish on your own artwork. Some basic materials will be available but it is recommended that you bring your own. Suitable for all levels of ability.Fee: £15 to include tea/coffee. Booking essential online or phone 01243 513275.
Meet: Harbour Education Centre, on the quay, Dell Quay, PO20 7EE. Roadside parking.

Mon 12 March 10am 3hrs
Time Off for Art
See details above but note change of venue. Book here.Meet: Clubroom, Paynes Boatyard, Thornham Lane, Thorney Island, PO10 8DD. Free parking by kind permission of the boatyard.

Solar Heritage Boat Trips

Solar Heritage is a 14-metre solar powered catamaran licensed for public boat trips. She can carry up to 50 passengers. The boat is open-sided for unimpeded views so warm clothing and wet weather gear is advised. There is a toilet onboard and the boat is fitted with a wheelchair lift.

Friends of Chichester Harbour members are offered a discount of £1 per ticket. Please quote membership number when booking. To join please go to www.friendsch.org.

Departures from Itchenor: Please wait on the viewing platform in front of the Harbour Office 15 minutes before departure time and the crew will collect you. Park in the pay and display car park near The Ship pub - PO20 7AE.

The government is consulting on mandating biodiversity net gain in development to ensure habitats are protected and enhanced for the future. The consultation opened on 2 December and will run until 10... Continue Reading »